Hihg pressure vapor generator



D. G. CSAT'HY ET AL 3,356,159 HIGH PRESSURE VAPOR GENERATOR Dec 5, 1967 Filed Feb. 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIE. l

I.-\/VENTOR. DEA/IS G. (S/77 7) B DAV/D W4 7'5 /4 g Z 7 Dec. 5, 1967 D. G. CSATHY ET AL 3,356,159

HIGH PRESSURE VAPOR GENERATOR Filed Feb. 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN. 'ENTOR. DEA/A5 6. 0534771) Dec. 5, 1967 D G cs ET AL 3,356,159

HIGH PRESSURE VAPOR GENERATOR Filed Feb. 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 N LVVE/VI'OR. DE/V/S Q 7 firm/ways w m N "I Dec. 5, 1967 V D, G CSATHY ET AL 3,356,159

HIGH PRESSURE VAPOR GENERATOR Filed Feb. 16, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIHIII ll] lll llll I INVENTOR. Dav/s 6. Csazwy United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A high pressure vapor generator wherein an upright cylindrical outer vessel is formed of upper and lower detachably connected sections, there being an upper outlet header and a lower inlet header within the vessel interconnected by a series of serpentine configured water tubes with all of said headers and tubes being suspended from the upper section to be removed from the lower section for inspection and repair when the sections are detached and vertically separated.

This invention relates generally to high pressure vapor generators or boilers of the water-tube type and more particularly concerns such boilers of the upright or vertically elongated type wherein high pressure gases and the vaporizing fluids between which heat is exchanged pass in generally vertical directions through the boiler casing.

Fire-tube type boilers have commonly been used for the utilization of spent high pressure process gases. However, in present applications it has become desirable to use such gases to produce steam under relatively high pressures, thus making the fire-tube boiler impractical for this particular purpose. Water-tube boilers developed for this purpose have not been satisfactory in that their construction has not provided for quick replacement in the event of tube failure. Such deficiency results in extended shutdown time and loss of production.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a water-tube boiler utilizing an upright pressure vessel and wherein the boiler construction allows ready removal of the water-tube bundle from the vessel for tube repair or replacement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boiler with an outer housing or vessel adapted to be permanently mounted in a gas flow to carry high pressure gases therethrough, and an arrangement of water tubes having inlet and out-let headers within the vessel and disposed in a water-steam flow system and having means for ready disconnection from the water-steam flow system and the vessel for unitary removal of the water-tube arrangement from the vessel for tube replacement or repair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of an outer housing or vessel for a high pressure vapor generator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a high pressure vapor generator with a novel arrangement for a bundle of water tubes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a high pressure vapor generator of the water-tube type with improved bypass means for controlling the how of high pressure gases through the generator.

With the above mentioned and still additional objects in view the invention broadly comprises a high pressure vapor generator having an upright cylindrical vessel having a lining of refractory material, said vessel having a lower section forming the major length thereof, and a cover section detachably connected to the top of the lower section, the lower section having a gas inlet opening in the lower portion thereof and a gas outlet opening in the upper portion thereof, a vapor outlet header mounted horizontally within the cover section and extending through one wall thereof, a lower header disposed horizontally in the lower portion of the vessel and having connection with a source of water under pressure, a plurality of water tubes extending upwardly in serpentine configuration between said lower header and vapor outlet header, and said water tubes and lower header being suspended completely from the outlet header for removal from the lower section of the vessel when the cover section is detached and raised therefrom.

The invention is further characterized by providing gas bypass stacks at the sides of the water-tube bundles with said stacks having closure dampers therein between the gas inlet and outlet openings and connected to control means outside of the vessel for moving the dampers between open and closed positions.

The abovementioned and still additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in' which- FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a boiler embodying one form of the present invention with the boiler centrally broken away to facilitate a full showing of the upper and lower end portions thereof.

FIG. 2 is a two part vertical section through the boiler taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a two part view of the boiler in vertical section with the vapor conducting tube system removed from the main portion of the boiler vessel.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section through the boiler taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and looking downwardly.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section through the boiler taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2 and looking downwardly.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken through a modified form of the invention with the water-tube bundle partially broken away.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6 and looking downwardly.

FIG. 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 6 and looking downwardly.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, ref erence numerals will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. In the first embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the boiler vessel or casing is denoted generally by the numeral 10. It includes a lower section 11 having an upright tubular outer shell 12 closed at its lower end by a dish-shaped bottom 14, both of which are of relatively heavy plate metal material. The upper open end of section 11 is closed by an upper or cover section 15 which has a tubular shell 16 equal in diameter to shell 12 and closed at its upper end by an inverted dish-shaped top 17 also of similar metal material. Members 12 and 16 are provided with mating annular flanges denoted respectively at 18 and 19 which are bolted together at circumferentially spaced points by the bolt assemblies 20.

The interior of the vessel 10 is provided with an insulating lining of suitable refractory material to prohibit over-heating of the outside metal shell material. This lining is formed in sections of progressively decreasing thickness from the bottom to the top of the vessel, these sections being respectively denoted at 21, 22 and 23 in the drawings. The middle section 22 is provided with a metal liner 24 of stainless steel.

The lower portion of the vessel 10 is provided with a refractory lined gas inlet port 25 and a diametrically opposing manhole 26 which is closed by a cover 27 which carries an insulator disk 28. A deflector 29 is mounted on the interior of the vessel to extend upwardly and inwardly from below the gas inlet port 25. Near its upper end and just below flange 18 the section 11 is provided with a gas outlet port 30' and a manhole 31 suitably capped by cover 32. Support brackets 33 are mounted on the exterior of section 11 for suitably mounting the vessel in spaced relation over the floor or other base surface.

A pair of vapor outlet headers or collectors 34 and 35 are mounted in the top section 15 of the vessel, extending cross i e t e eof. in pa a l lism and o h ugh pp s of the sec i n as sho n n F H a er 34 an 35 are respectively connected to a steam drum (not shown).

A water inlet line 37 extends axially through the vessel bottom 14 and refractory section 21 and connects at its upper end with a horizontal inlet header 38 which is parallel to headers 34 and 35. Line 37 and header 38 are covered by an insulating shell 39. Line 37 can be upwardly removed from opening 40 in the bottom of the vessel and the annular seal 41 mounted therein.

A plurality of serpentine water tubes 44 have their lower ends connected to header 38 and extend upwardly therefrom back and forth across the interior of the vessel with the upper ends thereof connected to one of the outlet headers 34, 35. Tubes 44 are arranged in several rows across the vessel or boiler as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 and each row comprises a pair of tubes nested Within each other as denoted at 44a and 44b in FIG. 1. The various tubes 44 connect with header 38 by various leads 45 as denoted at 45a, b, c and d in FIG. 1 and to outlet headers 34, 35 by various leads 46 as denoted at 46a, b, c and d. There are an approximately equal number of each of the different leads 45 and of each of the different leads 46.

Sheet metal stacks 47 are formed at the opposing sides of the bundles of tubes 44. These stacks are formed by side plates 48 at each side of the bundle having bottom flanges 49 (FIG. 2), the outer edges of which are arcuately formed to fit against the liner 24. Each plate 48 has a gas bypass opening 50 formed in the medial area thereof. A flange 51 having the same shape as flanges 49 is disposed at the upper end of each side plate 48 to close the upper end of the stack 47. Each of these flanges is provided with a central vent opening 52 best shown in FIG. 5. A disk-Shaped damper 54 is journaled in each flange 51 and on an axis perpendicular to plate 48 for opening and closing movement with respect to the opening 52. Each damper 54 has a suitable releasable key connection with a manual control 55 journaled in a sleeve 56 mounted coaxially in the tubular shell 11. It will be understood that while the control 55 is utilized to operate damper 54, the connection therebetween is released when the control is pulled outwardly a short distance.

Support means are provided on the water-tube assembly for the serpentine coils 44. This comprises a plurality of hanger rods 60 having their upper ends pivotally connected to headers 34 and 35 as at 61 and their lower ends carrying suspension straps 62 which have ertically spaced cross rods 64 mounted thereon and extending under and supporting the various serpentine coils of the tubes 44.

In operation the pipe 37 is suitably connected to a source of water unde Pressure. The water is forced into the header, then upwardly through the various tubes 44 into the collectors 34 and 35, and from there to an exterior steam drum. The gas inlet port 25 is connected to a source of high pressure, high temperature process gas which enters against bafile 219 and flows upwardly between and around the bundle of tubes 44 dissipating heat to the water and vapor therein and then discharges through port 30 either to atmosphere or to a collection point for reuse in its cooler form. The heat exchange between the gas and the water tubes 44 will vaporize the water in the tubes so that it will be gradually converted to steam during its rise through the vessel and into collectors 34 and 35.

A portion of the rising gas will pass through the openings 50 into the bypass stacks 47. The dampers 54 may accordingly be utilized to vary the temperature drop on the gas as it passes through the vessel.

In the event that it is necessary to inspect or replace any part of the Water-tube assembly the bolt and nut assemblies 20 are removed and pipe 37 is disconnected from the water inlet line just below the vessel. The collector headers 34 and 35 are also disconnected from their respective carry-off lines just outside of the cover section 15. It is then possible by attaching suitable lifting mechanism to the ears 66 on the top of cover section 15 to lift the cover section and the entire water-tube assembly which depends therefrom out of the lower section 11 as shown in FIG. 3. Damper controls 55 are released from the dampers 54 prior to removal. Inasmuch as plates 48 and 49 are attached directly to the tubes 44, they will accompany the tube assembly.

With the water-tube assembly completely removed from the vessel, as shown on the right side of FIG. 3, the various tube components thereof can be readily examined and repaired or replaced if necessary, limiting shut-down time of the boiler to a minimum. All repair can be completed outside of the boiler vessel after which the assembly is reinserted into the vessel, flanges 18 and 19 are bolted together and the various water and steam lines are reconnected.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. Here while the boiler vessel, denoted generally at 70, is of the same basic construction as the vessel 10 of the first embodiment, there are some notable differences. The upper and lower sections of the vessel are respectively denoted at 71 and 72. Both sections of the vessel are lined with a refractory material 74. The bottom end of section 72 is tapered and has a gas inlet port 75 formed therein. A manhole 76 with a cover 77 having a refractory lining is also provided in the bottom portion of section 72.

The upper section 71 has a gas outlet port 79 and a diametrically opposing manhole (not shown) closed by a cover. The upper and lower sections are respectively provided with the upper 80 and lower 81 mating flanges which are removably locked together by bolt and nut assemblies 82.

In this embodiment the inlet header, denoted at 84, is mounted within the upper section 71 to extend diametrically thereacross and connects centrally with an inlet stub 85 which extends through the top of the vessel. The outlet header, denoted at 86, is also mounted within the section 71 and extends through one side thereof as at 87. A pair of downcomers 88 extend downwardly from the ends of header 84 in diametrically opposing relation within the vessel and at their lower ends jointly support and connect a distribution header 89. A plurality of water tubes 90 connect to and extend upwardly in serpentine fashion between the header 89 and outlet header 86.

The downcomers 88 extend through stacks 91 formed at each side of the water-tube bundle. A closure plate 92 (FIG. 7) at the top of each stack is provided with an opening through which the pipe 88 passes and with a pair of damper openings 94 each of which has a disk damper 95 ournaled therein for opening and closing movement relative to the opening. Each damper 95 is detachably connected to rotary control member 96 disposed on the outside of the vessel.

This form of the invention functions in substantially the same manner as the first embodiment. Here, however, water is pumped under pressure into the inlet header 84 from which it descends through the downcomers 88 into header 89. It then rises through water tubes 90 during the vaporization proces into the collector 86 from which the steam is carried off to a steam drum.

The high pressure gases enter the vessel through the inlet 75 and rise upwardly around the tubes 90 dissipating heat thereto and discharge through the gas outlet port 79.

The bypass stacks are provided with openings to allow the gas to pass into the stacks. Dampers 95 may be adjusted through controls 96 to vary the amount of gas passing through the stacks to thus control the outlet temperature of the gas.

In this construction when it is desirable to inspect,

7 repair or replace portions of the vapor tube assembly,

the sections 71 and 72 are disconnected at the flange area and section 71 is raised lifting the entire tube assembly therewith out of the lower vessel sections 72. It will be understood that the inner walls and top and bottom walls of stacks 91 are attached to and will be removed with the tube bundle.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a heat recovery boiler, an upright cylindrical vessel forming a chamber for conducting high pressure gases therethrough and having inlet and outlet ports for admitting and discharging such gases, said vessel having vertically and axially aligned cylindrical upper and lower sections detachably connected together, the lower section having a substantially greater vertical dimension than the upper section, an outlet header mounted crosswise in the upper section and extending through the wall of the upper section, an inlet header disposed crosswise in the lower section of the vessel, a plurality of water tubes extending in serpentine configuration between and connecting the inlet and outlet headers and providing a plurality of independent conduits therebetween, said water tubes and inlet header being suspended from the outlet header, a water inlet line extending axially through the bottom wall of the lower section and connected to the inlet header and being slidably removable from said bottom wall whereby when the sections are detached and the upper section raised from the lower section said tubes, inlet header and inlet line will be Withdrawn from the lower section.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the gas inlet port is located near the bottom of the vessel and the outlet port located near the top of the vessel and said vessel being lined with refractory material throughout with said material being of reducing thickness from the bottom to the top of the vessel.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein two of said outlet headers are provided in said upper section and wherein approximately half of said water tubes connect the inlet header to one outlet header and the remainder of the water tubes connect the inlet header to, the other outlet header.

4. In a heat exchanger for utilizing the heat of high pressure gases, an upright cylindrical refractory lined vessel, said vessel having a gas inlet opening in the lower portion thereof and a gas outlet opening spaced above the gas inlet, said vessel having vertically aligned and separable upper and lower sections with the lower section having a substantially greater vertical dimension than the upper section, and a water-tube assembly disposed Within the vessel and including inlet and outlet headers and a plurality of water tubes interconnecting the headers and extending into the lower section, said water-tube assembly being mounted on and suspended completely from the vessel upper section to be removable from the lower section when the sections are vertically separated, said water tubes being arranged in an upright bundle which substantially fills the vessel in one horizontal direction but leaving diametrically opposing vertical passageways at the sides thereof between the bundle and vessel wall in the lower section, a pair of dampers disposed one in each passageway and journaled on the vessel for movement between open and closed positions relative to the corresponding passageway, and control means disposed exterior of the vessel and connected to the dampers for movement thereof between open and closed positions.

5. In a high pressure vapor generator, an upright cylindrical vessel forming a chamber for conducting high pressure gases therethrough and having inlet and outlet ports for admitting and discharging such gases, said vessel having vertically and axially aligned cylindrical upper and lower sections detacha'bly connected together, the lower section having a substantially greater vertical dimension than the upper section, a water-tube assembly disposed within the vessel, said assembly including an outlet header disposed crosswise in the upper section and connecting with an extension extending through the wall of the upper section, a distributor header disposed crosswise in the lower section of the vessel, a plurality of water tubes extending in serpentine configuration between and connecting the distributor and outlet headers and providing a plurality of independent conduits therebetween, and a pair of downcomer tubes connected at their lower ends to the distributor header and at their upper ends to an extension extending through the wall of the upper casing with the entire water-tube assembly being suspended from the upper section by said downcomer tubes whereby when the sections are detached and the upper section raised from the lower section said entire water-tube assembly wil be withdrawn from the lower section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,883,605 10/1932 Davy -74 X 2,004,469 6/1935 Leach 165-74 X 2,547,589 4/1951 Marshall l227 2,631,932 3/1953 Patterson et a1. 122-333 X KENNETH W. SPRAGUE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A HEAT RECOVERY BOILER, UPRIGHT CYLINDRICAL VESSEL FORMING A CHAMBER FOR CONDUCTING HIGH PRESSURE GASES THERETHROUGH AND HAVING INLET AND OUTLET PORTS FOR ADMITTING AND DISCHARGING SUCH GASES, SAID VESSEL HAVING VERTICALLY AND AXIALLY ALIGNED CYLINDRICAL UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS DETACHABLY CONNECTED TOGETHER, THE LOWER SECTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER VERTICAL DIMENSION THAN THE UPPER SECTION, AN OUTLET HEADER MOUNTED CROSSWISE IN THE UPPER SECTION AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL OF THE UPPER SECTION, AN INLET HEADER DISPOSED CROSSWISE IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE VESSEL, A PLURALITY OF WATER TUBES EXTENDING IN SERPENTINE CONFIGURATION BETWEEN AND CONNECTING THE IN- 